There's No Place Like Home
by Eternally Inspired
Summary: Bella Swan has just arrived in Forks when alarming circumstances land her in very close proximity to the Cullen family. Will she survive meeting the mysterious Cullens and her last year of highschool? R&R, constructive criticism appreciated! First Fic
1. Preface

_There's No Place Like Home_

_**Preface**_

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My breath was puffing out of my mouth in short, even gasps; my feet pounding painfully against the damp forest floor. I felt a slight resistance as a branch tried to slow me down, grasping desperately at the remnants of my clothing. I paused, long enough to glance back through the hazy light. I could feel everything in that moment. The damp air curled around me, lifting my hair off the back of my neck. Bird wings flapped quickly above me as the creature sought shelter that was not being invaded by me and my obnoxiously loud breathing. The wing of a moth brushed delicately against my shoulder, and I cried out in shock. A subtle feather-light touch, but effective none-the-less. The forest swirled around me and my eyes rolled unconciously upwards, as the world disappeared.

Waking up was a strange sensation. I felt the cool wind on my cheeks, and my eyelids slowly drifted open. I felt a panic rising inside me as I quickly sat up; the jolt of my sudden movement causing sore and abused muscles to ache in protest. My bones were stiff, my fingers numb. I glanced around from my seat on the forest floor. Where was I? How did I end up in the middle of a forest? There are no forests in my desert hometown of Pheonix, and I thanked my lucky stars every day for that fact. I stood slowly, my head spinning as my body leered to the right, threatening to fall over once again. Positioning myself against a large tree, the trunk of which was covered in green moss, I glanced down at my attire. The remnants of a pair of jeans and a red t-shirt clung tight to my body, torn and stained. There were ugly red scratches on my arms and hands, and my feet were bare. _Where did my shoes go?_ I laughed aloud at the absurdity of that thought. Then, suddenly recollecting myself, I called out quietly:

"Hello?"

Nothing. No answering voice, welcome or not. Not one sound reached my ears. I slid against the tree trunk, sitting down on the ground once again, trying desperately to patch together the next few days. I remembered leaving my mother's house in Pheonix, moving in with Charlie for my final year of highschool.The night I got in, Charlie drove me to my new home, presenting my with my new truck as a homecoming gift. I remember unpacking, sleeping, waking up the next morning. I gasped as a sudden thought hit me. _The reservation...we had been at Billy's._ After much shameless pleading and a little bit of stomping around and ordering from my father, I had been convinced to accompany him to the home of his long-time friend Billy Black. We were sitting with Billy and his young son Jacob when it had happened. Gunfire. Blood. So much screaming and commotion that my head still could not process it properly. I remembered panicking very clearly though. I remembered bursting out the back door and running, as Charlie was shot, dropping to the ground like a lead weight. I remembered tripping over myself as I bolted into the forest, listening to the sounds of my persuers so close behind me. I don't know how they didn't catch me, or how I didn't break an ankle as I ran wrecklessly through the forest.

Regardless, it became clear that no-one was going to come find me. Nobody would know where I was, and I could assume very few people even knew I was in town, or that I had been with Charlie. I tried to remember whether I left my purse at Billy's or if it came into the forest with me, but those details remained blurry to me. Mom and Phil were probably on their way to Florida right now, she wouldn't suspect anything was up until a couple of days had gone by. She knew how bad I was at calling her back and replying to her e-mails. I was lost, alone, and nobody knew.

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a/n: I know where this story is going, but where would be the fun in giving it all away in the first chapter? I thought it best to stop things here and leave the first chapter as a preface. Let me know what you think (even if your thoughts aren't so flattering. ;) ). I can't improve without your comments! 


	2. Discovery

I'm not Stephenie Meyer, therefore the Characters of Twilight do not belong to me. ...If only! But, on with the show.

**_Ch. 1: Discovery_**

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After my contemplation of the events of the night before, I did the only thing I could think to do at that moment; I began walking. I often wonder what would have become of me if I had continued to sit in the forest, waiting patiently for rescue. But as I have often heard it said, you can't spend your life looking into the past. So I walked; heedless of direction, of the passing time. Twigs dug themselves deep into the tender soles of my bare feet, tree branches attacked me at every possible opportunity. I always had been a danger to myself when surrounded by wilderness, and yet here I was, with no escape. I sang to myself, any song I could think of, humming in place of words that I had long forgotten. I hardly noticed the passing time, each moment blending into the next, each tree morphing into another. Eventually, I could feel the pain of hunger gnawing away at me, my tongue thick with lack of fluids. I was dehydrated, and I wondered idly how much longer I could last wandering around the woods like an idiot. Walking became harder a while later, and it took all my strength to simply move my legs, one foot it front of the other, concentrating on not falling_...again..._These hours of walking are a timeless blur to me, no matter how often I study that small portion of my past, I remember very little.

I do remember meeting my destination with stunning clarity though. Dusk was quickly approaching, but there was still enough light for me to discern a break in the trees ahead. I began to move faster through the forest, energized by my new and exciting discovery. Heedless of the obstacles and dangers lying on the forest floor, I stumbled forward, tripping, falling, getting back up again and running some more. A thorn buried itself deep in my foot and I cried out in pain, interrupting my hoarse and incoherent rendition of _Mary Had a Little Lamb. _I was sobbing now, finally breaking down after all that the last twenty-four hours had brought me. A light snowfall had begun, the first snow of the season. I broke through the trees, only to stop dead in my tracks, looking around me with horror chilling my blood. Naively, I had hoped the break in the trees would have lead to a highway. Too late, however, I remembered the vast expanse of forest that surrounded my father's sleepy hometown. Instead of the signs of civilization I had hoped to see, I was met with a small, circular meadow. I stood for a long while, on the outskirts of the meadow, feeling thick tears create a hazy film over my eyes, blurring the trees into a brown and green smudge in front of me. Bruised and bloody, I sank down to the cold ground, succumbing to bitter tears. I sat in the meadow as evening turned to night, the moon rising above the trees as I slipped in and out of consciousness. The snow, still softly drifting to the ground, had been clinging to my hair and clothing, melting and leaving me uncomfortably wet. I did not feel the cold though; I was numb. The only thing I felt was a sick sense of dread pressing down on me.

The moon was directly overhead when I heard a sudden noise, so soft and quick it should have gone unnoticed. I glanced around, frantic, my eyes twitching back and forth across the meadow. Upon seeing nothing, I jumped up, stumbling in my haste, and spun around, glancing into the ominous woods behind me. Once again, nothing out of the ordinary appeared before me. Yet still, I felt a presence. I was no longer alone, and I grew alarmed, a small whimper escaping my lips before I could stop it. I shoved a rough hand over my mouth, trying in vain to stifle my loud breath and my fears, and turned carefully back to the meadow.

It was then that I first saw him. He stood in the center of the meadow, glorious in the moonlight. Statuesque and exquisite, like something dreamed up from a painting by the old Renaissance masters. No breeze ruffled his hair, no sound came from the woods around us. I felt as if time itself had been frozen, and a fleeting thought that I might be dreaming this entire nightmare up popped into my head. Until, finally, he moved. He stepped forward carefully, achingly slowly, as if he did not wish to alarm me. I snapped out of my dream-like state, shaking the cloudy thoughts out of my head. As much as I knew I should have been afraid at that moment, the logical response upon being found alone in the woods by a stranger, I felt instantaneous joy. A sense of calm enveloped me, and a small smile erupted on my frozen face.

"Hello?" I stepped forward eagerly, a bright smile still playing upon my lips - the amount of safety I felt in this stranger's presence was unreal. "Can you help me? I'm lost. I don't know where I am. I really need help...I need to get home." _To make sure my father is okay..._

He continued to stare at me, growing still once again. The only movement was a slight narrowing of his eyes, and I may have missed it if I had not been so eagerly studying his every feature. He was staring me down as if he was concentrating with great effort; trying to gaze into my very soul. I felt the smile melting off my face, fear bubbling up in the pit of my stomach once again. He suddenly backed up a few paces - I winced at the intensity of his sudden movement - and shook his head.

"Alice?"

One simple word, yet I was stunned by his voice. Soft and gentle, like velvet, it entranced me, and I longed to hear him speak more. I was about to call out in protest, tell him he had me confused with someone else, when a small, pale girl with short black hair suddenly appeared in the clearing. She stood at the edge of the trees, and glanced wordlessly toward the man. He shook his head at her, a forceful and quick gesture.

"You've seen this, Alice. You know I can't. Take her, and I will see you later."

With that, he was suddenly gone, as if he had disappeared. The short girl turned, and smiled at me, white teeth flashing in the moonlight. Her friendliness was an odd contrast to the hostility of the man, and I continued to stand back, my eyes going wide with surprise as she spoke.

"Hello, Bella. My name is Alice, Alice Cullen. Why don't you come here and I'll take you back to my house where you can dry off and change." She spoke with a chipper attitude, lighthearted, and unsurprised at finding a random stranger in the forest in the middle of the night. She glanced quickly down at my attire, then her eyes were locked on mine again. I flushed with embarrassment, thinking of how awful I must look after living in the woods for the last 24 hours. She opened her arms, as if welcoming me to embrace her. After a moment of confusion on my part, she smiled with calm understanding.

"Come here, Bella. I'll carry you. It's not far."

At that statement, I snorted incredulously. Honestly! She expected to carry me? She was so tiny...she looked so helpless and weak. Internally though, I was torn. She knew my name? How? And where exactly was this home that she spoke of? Was this safe? But then again, what choice did I have? To wander around the forest until I succumbed to the cold and exhaustion, or to go with this Alice, who might be able to lead me back to town, or to a phone at the very least. I heaved a heavy sigh, said a quick prayer, and stepped into Alice's open arms.

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a/n: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. (Although it is unbearably short. Ugh.) Once again, any reviews are appreciated. The next chapter will be longer. Love! 


	3. Introductions

Sigh I do not own the Twilight Series. Any and all "copyright infringement" is solely an homage to the magnificent Stephenie Meyer. There...Now that my lawyer is satisfied, I can continue with my story.

a/n: It's taking me forever to get this written...I want to get it just right, and I'm a little meticulous (I re-write and proofread each installment around three times before I post it. hehe.). If anything seems off, let me know!!! I love Criticism. (You could call me a masochist...I've got quite a bit of Edward in me. ;) )

And...On with the show!

_**Ch. 2: **__**Introductions**_

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"Running" with Alice was a breathtaking experience. She somehow managed to hold me gingerly in her thin arms and race through the forest. After the first few seconds of breakneck speed, I gave up on trying to see the trees that loomed ahead of us and instead concentrated on bracing myself for the impact that was sure to come. With my head tucked tightly into her neck, eyes closed, arms holding on so hard my circulation was critically hampered, I struggled to take calm breaths. How did someone run _so fast!?_ It didn't feel like running though. There was no jarring jogging motion in the way she stepped. I couldn't hear Alice take a single breath as we flew through the forest, so fast her feet must have been barely touching the ground. I wondered whether I had made the right choice moments before...whether awaiting my death in the frozen forest would have been a better way to go than slamming into a tree.

After a while, just as I was starting to feel faint from lack of oxygen, the wind that whipped around us began to slow down, and I peeked hesitantly from Alice's neck. My cheek was burning from the sensation of her cold skin pressed against mine for such a long time, and I wondered how long she had to have been out in the forest for her skin to be this cold...just as cold as the snow still falling around us. I lifted my head further, trying to see why we might be slowing down; whether we had reached out final destination. All thought was forgotten as I took in the scene before me. It appeared we had reached another clearing, and as I peered further into the darkness, I could see the lights of a house in the distance. To call this palace a house though is an insult. It was monstrous in size, towering three stories tall. In a less panicked and confused state - under normal circumstances - I might have marveled at the sheer beauty of the antique home; at the staircase curving up to a wide and pleasant veranda, the clean white paint on the quaint wooden siding, the meticulously cut lawn that was dusted in a fine coating of snow. As we approached the house that I assumed was her home, Alice paused and set me gently on the ground. Not prepared to suddenly find myself standing on my own two feet again, I stumbled and fell down, my knees buckling uselessly beneath me. I heard a laugh then, so beautiful and joyous, like the tinkling of bells. Alice was grinning down at me, offering a hand to help me to my feet. Feeling my face begin to blush, I sighed heavily and took advantage of her kind gesture with little grace, somehow managing to stumble back to my feet with her support.

"Welcome to the Cullen Home, Bella." With that simple sentence and a grand gesture toward the house, she ducked behind me and pushed me eagerly up the stairs. Before I could process what has happening, I was shoved through a heavy wooden door and into the house. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Standing before me were two of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. Running into so many gorgeous people tonight was starting to make me a little hysterical and paranoid. I giggled - a high pitched noise - and took in the couple in front of me. They both appeared to be a little older than Alice, and both had pale skin and warm golden eyes. I glanced quickly at Alice, noting that her eye color was the same as the couple in front of me. All three also had deep circles under their eyes, signs of a severe sleep disorder; but then, when one stays up until the wee hours of the morning, traipsing through the woods, what does one expect? That was where the resemblance amongst the three individuals in room stopped. The woman was soft and curvy, with kindness emanating from her smile Her hair waved softly down her back, the color of caramel, and framed an angelic heart-shaped face. She was a fairy tale princess come to life, standing before me in a loose ivory blouse and designer jeans.

"Ah, Alice. I see you've brought home a friend. I'm Alice's father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, and this is my wife, Esme." With his words, I turned my attention to the tall man standing next to the woman. Dr. Cullen was not in any way what I pictured a doctor could ever look like. Over the years of frequent trips to the emergency room, I had a certain picture of the typical doctor in my head. Whereas most doctors were gray haired, haggard older men, Dr. Cullen was young...very young...with blonde hair and chiseled features. A muscular arm held his wife close to his side, and he smiled down at me. I felt a faint blush rise to my cheeks, then only succeeded in blushing a deep shade of red as I realized this man was making me blush.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen. You have a very nice house." I smiled hesitantly at the couple, folding my hands together behind my back, feeling quite out of place and uncomfortable.

Esme spoke up now, and I turned my attention eagerly back to her. "Please, Bella, make yourself at home." How odd...Alice must have told them my name while I was ogling. "Are you hungry?"

The couple stepped to the side then, letting Alice -who had been eagerly bouncing on the balls of her feet during the exchange between myself and her parents- and I into the house. I glanced around me in amazement, finally able to take in my surroundings. To my left, situated just behind Dr. Cullen and Esme, was a grand piano, on a raised portion of the floor. I smiled slightly upon seeing the Piano, thinking of one of my mother's many interests; the piano that had been sitting in our living room in Phoenix for as long as I could recall. My eyes moved on from the piano after a moment, taking in the rest of the gigantic front room. The floors were smooth, polished wood, the walls a stark white - aside from the south wall, which had apparently been torn out and replaced with glass - high beamed ceilings hung far above my head. A spiral staircase was situated in the back of the room, and a few doorways, the doors firmly closed, graced the walls. Alice guided me wordlessly toward a comfortable sofa in front of a rather impressive television. She glanced up suddenly, her eyes growing wide, before quickly smoothing out her expression.

"How would you like to get all cleaned up? Then you can eat and we can call your family. I'm sure they're worried about you." Once again, she glanced down at my outfit, pursing her lips, before turning her gaze back to me. For a moment, a glint of excitement shone in her eyes, as she continued. "I'm sure I have some clothes you can borrow!"

I had so many questions, but I was hesitant to ask Alice anything in front of her parents. I didn't want to seem impertinent or rude. Alice, however, felt like a close friend already; like a sister.

"That sounds fine with me. Thank you so much for doing all this, bringing me here..." I trailed off and gestured around me at the room we were standing in.

Alice simply laughed, and took my hand, pulling me eagerly up the staircase.

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a/n: I'm eager to get this out, so I'll leave it here for now. I should have another installment up tonight or tomorrow night. Please review! The reviews I got last time made me smile so much, and I'd like to make sure I'm portraying everything correctly. 


	4. Where Bella Falls in the ShowerAgain

I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or any of the characters fabricated by Stephenie Meyer.

Enjoy!

_**Ch. 3: Where Bella Falls in the Shower...again.**_

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I followed Alice up the staircase, stumbling over myself a few times as I attempted to keep up with her. Alice led me silently down a long, wood-paneled hallway and stopped in front of a non-descript door. I chose this moment to speak up.

"Alice?"

Alice paused for a moment, turning the doorknob as she replied. "Yes, Bella?"

"How did you know who I am? I mean...you did just happen upon me in the woods..." I trailed off again; apparently sleep deprivation was starting to affect my ability to speak.

"Oh, you've been missing for over 24 hours, Bella." She stepped forward, into a large and well furnished bedroom, continuing to speak "I saw you on the news, and I assumed it was you that we found in the woods. We don't see too many distressed young women wandering around the forest by themselves."

She winked at me, pausing in the room and waiting for me to follow. I stepped forward, trying to keep pace with her both physically and mentally now. Her cryptic comments were only causing more questions to pop up in my head, when I had hoped they would ease my concerns. I glanced around the room, following Alice as she slipped through another door into a large bathroom. I looked around the bathroom in wonder; it was easily as large as my old bedroom in Jacksonville. A mirror stretched across the south wall of the room, two sinks elegantly placed in a counter that took up an entire wall below the mirror. Opposite the vanity was a large standing shower, with a towel rack neatly bolted into the wall next to it. Alice leaned against the counter, crossing her arms and watching me as I walked toward the shower, ducking my head in and trying to figure out the complicated knobs. The shower shot on with a sudden intense spray, and I sputtered as water hit my face, quickly turning the knob back and ducking back out of the shower stall.

"You said we, Alice...I'm assuming you're talking about the man that you were with?" I played idly with a strand of my hair, thinking of the man in the woods and the strange words he had spoken.

"Ah, yes," and a strange look came to Alice's face. She pursed her lips before continuing. As I waited for her response, I stepped into the shower again and pulled off my clothing, flinging it out of the shower stall and onto the floor. "Edward. He's one of my brothers." Apparently, that would be the end of discussing Edward. I tried another approach as I turned on the shower and reached for the shampoo. As I thought over how to best frame my question, I stepped on a bar of soap that must have fallen on the shower floor. I was airborne for a split second before promptly landing on my behind. My muscles must have been getting used to pain and abuse, or maybe I was just numb with all that had happened over the last couple of days, because it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would have. I laughed aloud to myself, and scrambled to my feet, deflecting the concerned comment I was sure Alice would make with a quick question.

"What were you doing in the woods in the middle of the night?" I laughed again, unsteadily, betraying my nerves, "Don't get me wrong! I'm glad you were."

"Oh, Edward and I were taking care of a little wolf problem we've been having lately." She laughed then, as if letting me in on a very good joke. She then moved on to another topic. "Edward and I are the same age. We have two older brothers, Jasper and Emmet, and an older sister, Rosalie."

I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, enjoying the feel of the hot water on my shoulders as Alice's voice wafted through the room like a soothing melody. "You'll have to excuse Edward's rude behavior earlier today. He really wasn't acting like himself. He was in a hurry to get back to the house; him and Jasper just left to go camping."

Camping? In the middle of the night? I shrugged off the suspicion I could feel rising up inside my head. I gave up on trying to pry more information from her, and moved on to more conventional issues.

"So, Dr. Cullen and Esme are your parents? They both look so young." I reached blindly out of the shower for the towel rack.

"Oh, we were all adopted. The only two of us who are blood relatives are Jasper and Rosalie." Alice sighed, and I wondered if she was growing impatient with me and my questions.

I wrapped a towel securely around myself, and stepped out of the shower, one-handedly wringing out my hair as I looked around the room for Alice, who had seemingly disappeared. How strange...I hadn't heard her leave. However, before I could get very far across the bathroom, she was back, holding out a limp bundle of cloth out to me.

"Here you are, Bella! I happened to have an old pair of jeans and t-shirt that should fit you nicely." She shrugged then, nonchalant. "Probably something that belongs to Esme."

I didn't bother to point out that Esme was a little too tall for her clothing to fit me correctly. Beggars can't be choosers, and I was not putting the trashed and stained outfit I'd been wearing for the past two days back on.

"Thanks, Alice." I stood awkwardly for a moment, holding up my towel around myself with one hand, my other arm wrapped securely around the bundle of clothing Alice had passed to me. Alice continued to stand in front of me, staring over my shoulder with a far-off gaze. _Was I supposed to change in front of her?_ I opened my mouth, to ask Alice to give me some privacy, when she suddenly snapped out of the spell she'd been under, and glanced up at me nervously.

"I'll just head downstairs. Whenever you're ready, why don't you join my parents and I in the front room?"

I nodded my agreement with that plan, and Alice turned carefully on her heel, loping out of the room and closing the door firmly behind herself. With a deep sigh, I sank back against the wall, letting the towel drop to the ground as I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. _Missing for 24 hours...Charlie must be so worried about me. _I didn't let my mind wander down the other possible path, I refused to let myself wonder if Charlie was alive to worry about me. No, I would not think about the negative; the worst-case-scenario. Not right now, not until I really truly had to think about it. Once I had my head straight, I looked to the clothing I was still holding, and began the tedious process of getting dressed.

After pulling on a combination of my old undergarments, and Esme's old clothing - a park of dark-wash designer jeans and a non-descript white t-shirt, both of which fit me surprisingly well - I raked my fingers quickly through my hair, attempting to calm the wild, tangled mess. I glanced in the mirror quickly, frowned at my pale, over-exhausted reflection and walked out of the room.

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a/n: I know, another shockingly short installment, but I've had it written for a couple of days and haven't found the time to expand or post it. Seeing as Christmas is coming up, I figured I might as well put SOMETHING up...So, here you go, and I'll see you all after the holidays with a much bigger update (really, I promise! hehe).

Merry Christmas!!!


	5. Loose Ends

I do not own the Twilight Series. Any and all "copyright infringement" is solely an homage to the magnificent Stephenie Meyer. There...Now that my lawyer is satisfied, I can continue with my story.

a/n: Yeah, well...That "right after the holidays" update never happened. Sorry! Things get a little hectic at the beginning of a new semester. I'll try to get chapters out faster now though. It's a great alternative to doing homework. ;) Do not give up hope on me, and as always, feel free to criticize/review/question the material.

**_Chpt 4: Loose Ends_**

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Making my way from Alice's second story bathroom down to the living room was a fairly easy endeavor. I passed through Alice's bedroom quickly, and stepped out into the hallway. As I walked, I noticed how oddly quiet the house was. The only noise I could hear was the soft step of my bare feet as they hit the wooden floor. I ran one hand absentmindedly along the wood paneled wall of the hallway, relishing the lusciously smooth texture. I began my decent of the staircase carefully, cautiously; the last thing I needed right now was to go tumbling down a flight of stairs. Pausing halfway down, I rested a hand on the wooden rail and glanced into the room below me, quietly absorbing the Cullen family. Esme and Carlisle were seated next to each other on the sofa, their backs to me. Carlisle's arm was draped casually over the back of the couch, one hand curving around his wife's shoulder, while Esme leaned against him. Alice was perched on the arm of a chair, as if waiting to spring into action at a moment's notice. I had a profile view of her face, and I noticed her eyes flash quickly toward where I was standing on the stairs before she leapt off the chair and danced gracefully toward me.

"Bella! Do you feel better after your shower?" Alice smiled at me, the corners of her mouth trembling slightly. I frowned, glancing from one face to the next, starting to feel wary about this family. What was with the forced happiness? Why were they being so helpful, anyway? My thoughts were interrupted by Esme.

"Would you like to try calling your father now Bella? I'm sure everyone is very worried..." Her voice faded out as she spoke, and her eyes snapped to the front door. I looked carefully around me; a frown still frozen on my lips, at Carlisle and Alice, both of whom were also watching the door with expectant looks on their faces. Well, Carlisle and Esme looked expectant, a little relieved even. Alice, however, looked troubled, her thin eyebrows drawn together over her large golden eyes. _What is going on here? Are they waiting for someone to arrive at_...I glanced at the clock..._three o'clock in the morning?_ Alice stood, and turned toward me, holding out a cell phone in her dainty hand.

"Would you like to try calling your father now, Bella?"

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the way Esme and Carlisle were continuing to stare at the front door. "Sure...Although I'm sure he's asleep...he's probably really worried." I stumbled over my words as I tried to communicate properly with Alice. I was afraid...so afraid. What if he didn't answer? What then? Was that it? Did that mean Charlie was dead?

I took the phone from Alice, and dialed Charlie's number. I stood there, positioned at the bottom of the stairs, one hand gripping the railing; listening to the phone ring, and ring, and ring. He didn't answer, but I refused to worry, taking a deep breath and reminding myself that, after all, it was three o'clock in the morning, or quite possibly he was at the station, trying to find me. I had called the station then, at Alice's suggestion. I could hear the relief in Deputy Mark's voice as he spoke to me; as I reassured him I was safe. He talked for what seemed like hours before I finally got a chance to ask him about Charlie. The stillness on the other line as I awaited an answer should have told me everything. The phone crackled, old phone lines were something Charlie had complained about to me many times. The noise made conversations hard to carry out; calls were dropped with maddening frequency. I heard my heartbeat rising; louder, faster. My breathing became shallow, and I clutched the phone, closed my eyes, listened for the voice on the other end to return.

"Bella, honey, I'm real sorry. Your dad...Charlie...Well, the injuries were serious. It took so long to get an ambulance to the reservation. We tried our best." Deputy Mark, usually so sure of himself, stumbled over his words, trying to explain with gentility, trying to lessen the blow of the words he was about to say.

"I'm so sorry, Bella, but your dad didn't make it. We tried our best, but the injuries were too severe..." Deputy Mark kept speaking, his voice a bland monotone.

Whether he was trying to explain why they couldn't save my father, or making up for the fact that I had yet to answer him, unable to utter a syllable, I couldn't say. The moment that first dreaded sentence came out of his mouth, my attention was no longer on his useless words. I was lost, frozen in the empty world of my mind. I gripped the phone tightly to my ear, as I stared ahead, vacant and dumbstruck. My knuckled ached in protest, skin growing tight and translucent over bone. My breathing picked up, my head began to swim, nausea gripped my throat tightly and I coughed hoarsely. I don't know how long I stood there, letting Deputy Mark speak consolations over the phone in a feather soft voice, before a cool hand gripped my forearm, prying the phone gently away from my ear. Cold hands pried the phone out of my vice grip, patted me soothingly on the shoulder. I could hear soft voices buzzing in the background, the activity throughout the household around me suddenly picking up, before I blacked out; darkness wrapping around my mind like a cocoon.

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Waking, strangely enough, was a slow and groggy process. First, came the strong scent of chemical cleanser, then the sound of hushed voices nearby. I narrowly wondered if Charlie had lost his mind and gone on a cleaning spree, before rolling over and throwing an arm over my eyes. I needed just a few more minutes in bed. Then I'd get up and make breakfast. The sheets under me crinkled, stiff and scratchy on my legs. _My legs?_ I never wore a nightgown to bed. Where were my trusty, comfortable sweat pants? I listened more closely to the noises around me, afraid to open my eyes and see why people were in my room, talking to one and other. A consistent beeping that sounded deceptively like a heart monitor met my ears, and my eyes shot open, as I gasped and sat straight up in the narrow hospital bed. The I.V. in my arm tugged painfully, and I gasped. There were two figures at the opposite end of the room, both with their backs turned to me, bent determinedly over something that they were discussing in whispers. The small woman with short brown hair whipped around at the sound of my gasp, innocent wide eyes searching me frantically to see what was wrong. I frowned, taking in the sight before me as I hesitantly spoke.

"Mom? What on earth are you doing in Forks?" She simply glanced at the man next to her as I spoke. He had turned as well, but I hadn't taken notice of him; I was far too busy trying to decode my mother's cryptic expression. I looked to the man now, and everything came back with horrifying and vivid clarity as I stared into the odd topaz eyes of Dr. Carlisle Cullen.

"Bella..." Dr. Cullen's smooth, beautiful voice lifted me out of the fog of my memories, and I focused my eyes on him instantly as he spoke. "How are you feeling?" He approached me as he spoke, tugging on his stethoscope with one hand, glancing at the chart he was holding in the other hand.

"I'm fine Dr. Cullen. Why am I here? I don't-" My voice stuck, hoarse from lack of use and I cleared my throat before trying to speak again. "I don't remember anything after the phone call...after I found out about Charlie."

"You passed out, Bella. Lean forward, I want to check your lungs." I did as he asked, and the stethoscope was pressed firmly against my back. "Now breathe for me...very good...Ah, as I was saying. You passed out, so we took you in to the hospital. You were over exhausted. Your body needed time to repair."

"Time?" How long had I been sleeping? "How much _time_?"

Renee stepped forward now, and Dr. Cullen moved back, making room for her at the side of the bed. "About three days, honey. I flew in as soon as Dr. Cullen called me. I've been at the hospital with you the entire time." She smiled at me then, obviously proud of her motherly behavior.

"Wow. Thanks Mom. You really didn't have to..." I let my voice drift off, vaguely gesturing my hand around the room. I was still so exhausted, and I leaned back against the pillows again, closing my eyes.

"You should be able to go home today, Bella. All your tests appear to be normal. As long as you take it easy, I don't see any problem with signing the release forms right now." I opened my eyes again at the sound of the Doctor's voice. I had forgotten he was present in the room with us. He marked something down on his chart, before looking back up at me and smiling. I found myself dazed by his beauty, and shook my head minutely to clear the haze that was forming in my head. He laughed quietly, before continuing. "I'll leave you alone with your mother for a moment while I get the necessary paperwork." With those words and a quick wave as a farewell gesture, he turned and exited the room.

Renee scooted closer to the bed now that the doctor wasn't in the room with us, and I turned to her, taking a deep breath before beginning what was bound to be a very hard conversation. "I need to get to work on Charlie's funeral. Have you spoken to his lawyer, or the police department, mom?" Speaking about Charlie was harder than I thought, and it took far too much effort to keep my voice from trembling. Therefore, I kept my inquiry quick and to the point, only having to sniffle once.

"You don't need to worry about anything right now, Bella. I took care of the funeral, and we'll be meeting with the lawyer the day after tomorrow. I know this is really hard, but I promise, things will go back to normal soon. The funeral is tomorrow, and after we speak to Charlie's lawyer, we should be able to leave town." She brushed my hair back from my forehead, and smiled softly at me.

"Oh. Thanks, mom, again. I really appreciate it. I'm sure it was hard for you to do all that by yourself." I was surprised at the way my mother, usually a scatterbrained and easily panicked mess, had taken charge of this devastating situation.

"Nonsense, Bella. Besides, Dr. Cullen helped tremendously with the funeral arrangements. Now, why don't you rest? I'm going to go see what's taking that doctor so long, and take care of the paperwork. I'll be back soon." She patted my hands carefully one last time, before walking out of the room, leaving me to myself. I sighed and leaned back on the bed, intent on getting some more sleep, but every time I closed my eyes, pictures of what happened last Friday at Billy's would bombard me. I could feel myself drifting closer to sleep though, so I tried not to concentrate too hard on the turn of events; on the ski-mask clad man bombarding into Billy's too small livingroom, or the panic in my dad's face as he shouted at me to run. At one point during my nightmares, I opened my eyes slowly, wondering what would be taking Renee and Dr. Cullen so long. I registered the face of a young man hovering over me, standing perilously close to me, his face mere inches from my own. Before I could exclaim at the sight of the bronze hair and topaz eyes, he muttered a low oath, and disappeared, as I fell quickly into a deep and dreamless sleep.

* * *

I was told Charlie's service was beautiful, as far as funerals go. I really don't remember. I remember the funeral home was crowded, and I remember Renee sitting beside me through the whole affair, as I alternated between pretending to sleep and staring vacantly at the hoards of townsfolk that came to offer me their condolences. I think the Blacks and Mr. and Mrs. Cullen stopped by at one point, but I don't remember speaking to them, so I can't be sure. I had been sleeping alot over the last twenty-four hours; it was an easy escape from dealing with Charlie's death, and it was expected by my mother and Dr. Cullen. It wasn't until months later, after we moved back to Florida; after I had started to recover, that I found out the circumstances behind Charlie's death. They caught the man that killed my father. He had just been let out on parole, after being locked up for ten years for a series of drug busts and traffic penalties. High on meth, he decided to take out the one man that had put him behind bars all those years ago, and that man just happened to be my father.

The morning after the funeral, we met with Charlie's lawyer. It was a quick and fairly painless affair. Renee and I decided we would put the house up for sale, and the money from the sale of the house would go towards my college education. Charlie's life insurance covered the funeral, with a little money left over to have the house cleaned up and hire a Realtor. His retirement fund was passed down to me as well. I sat in a chair, wooden and listless, as Renee and the lawyer discuss the finer points of the declining housing market and investing the retirement fund appropriately. I was still shell shocked, still recovering, and it showed through my more pale than usual skin, and my listless manner. The only escape I had was puzzling over the bronze haired man that I had seen again in my hospital room. I was afraid to ask Dr. Cullen why his son was staring at me while I slept, because I still hadn't decided whether he was actually there, or had been part of a very complex and realistic dream. Therefore, I let it go and told no-one, simply using the little time Renee allowed me to be by myself to think about the astonishingly beautiful man and his mysterious ways. It was far better than replaying my last memory of my father over and over again until I had gone insane.

Leaving Forks was easier than it should have been. The sun shone down brightly on Renee and I as we loaded my suitcase into her rental car and hit the road. I didn't look back as we drove out of town, opting to turn up the radio and look straight down the road ahead of us instead. I was fairly confident that I would never set sight on the town of Forks, Washington again, and I would be lying if I were to say I felt any sadness leaving. The sole purpose of my exile to that town was now gone, and I could cheerfully return to Jacksonville with Renee. I forced myself to sit up straighter and smile brightly at Renee, as she turned to glance at me, speaking those same words once again that she'd been saying all week.

"It'll be okay, Bella. I promise. You're going to love Jacksonville."

* * *

a/n: There it is. Not sure how I feel about it though. Is it a bit rushed? It IS longer than all my other previous chapters though. A little longer. Another update coming tomorrow hopefully, I just wanted to put this one out here asap. Hope you liked it. 


	6. Transition

I do not own Twilight, blah blah blah.

_**Transition: **_

_**Time**_

* * *

Time passed as time will, heedless of life, of events. Days, weeks, months passed, and I endured. Seasons changed, and I lived through the motions of the everyday life of an eighteen year old girl. Nothing was normal, though. Not like Renee promised. But time did pass. I went to highschool in Jacksonville, I made a few friends. Alice Cullen and I ended up becoming pen pals over the internet; she was the only connection I had to Forks, and that was fine with me. I would talk quite often about Phoenix to my new friends, but I never mentioned Forks. I reveled in the Florida sun. Renee, Phil and I spent a lot of time on the beach. Sometimes, I would even catch myself in moments of true happiness, laughing on the front porch with Phil and mom on hot summer nights after I graduated highschool. We never discussed Charlie though. It was an odd, underlying rule. Do not discuss Forks, do not bring up Charlie. 

I received a scholarship to the University of Illinois at Chicago through my highschool's advanced English program. I could have stayed in Florida to go to school, or gone to any of the many colleges I applied to, but something about the city of Chicago had me enthralled. It held no ties to my old life, no reminders of who I used to be and where I came from. It also helped that I would only be responsible for paying for room and board when I got up there. My tuition and books would be paid for through the scholarship. I was not the only one that was convinced this move to the Midwest would be for the best. Renee would talk gleefully about me getting "a fresh start," but I think a small part of her was looking for a fresh start as well. I was a constant reminder of Charlie's death, and my own inability to get over Charlie's death put a damper on all of our lives.

And so, I found myself packing my rusty '97 civic in the sticky Florida sun on a hot August day. I smiled fondly at my car, as I slammed the trunk. It was a beast. The air conditioning didn't work half the time, the coolant leaked incessantly, but it always managed to get me where I needed to go. Renee had pointed out that I could afford a new car after we sold Charlie's house, but I had protested and refused. Why spend money on a new car when the old one runs just fine? I laughed, remembering that conversation, and turned slowly toward the house as I heard the screen door slam shut. She walked out to where I was leaning against the trunk of the car, and mimicked my movement, standing next to me and leaning her weight on the trunk as well. She stared up at the house as she spoke.

"Are you sure you're not forgetting anything? You have the cell phone Phil bought you, right? Do you have enough money? You know you can call us any time. It doesn't matter how many minutes you use, Phil has us on a really good plan." She turned toward me then, brushing the hair out of my eyes.

"I'll be fine mom, I have everything taken care of. I'm going to have a lot of fun." My statement was old and wooden, but Renee bought into it, believing the easy lie that I had been practicing for months. "I do have to go now though, or I'll run into traffic. I love you, mom."

Renee smiled, tears shining in her eyes. "I love you too, Bella. Be good, and have a nice time. Drive safely. You can always come back home if you don't like it up there."

My mom hugged me tightly then, enveloping me in her warmth and love. For a moment, panic surged through my being, and I felt my lungs constricting. I was going to miss my mother so much. She sighed, and I pulled away from her, walking around to the driver's side of the car and climbing in. I started the car, my eyes brimming over with thick, hot tears, and put the car into drive.

"'Bye Bella! Be good, we'll miss you!" As I drove by the house, I glanced out the window, watching my mother waving from her post on the front porch.

I waved quickly, before turning on the radio, and pressing down on the gas pedal, preparing for a long and boring drive up to my new life.

* * *

a/n: It's short, not even long enough to be a real chapter. Just a transition between Forks, Florida and Chicago. I feel quite discouraged, no reviews! But ah, well...I'm not gonna worry about it. As long as people keep viewing, I'll keep writing. Although reviews would be niiice. wink, wink, nudge, nudge! 


	7. Destination

1I don't own the Twilight Series. Obviously.

A/n: Just a few quick notes; A gangway is a sidewalk that runs between houses in the city. I'm sure most everyone knows this, but I like to have all my bases covered. Also, radiators in old houses are not always bare, sometimes they'll have a metal casing/cover over them. Slap a scrap of carpet or some cloth on top of the radiator cover and you have a comfortable sitting area. There...I think that's everything I wanted to get out there.

As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter, feel free to review, criticize, question, etc.

_**Chpt 5: Adjustments**_

br

It was Saturday morning. After two and a half grueling days of driving, I had finally made it to Chicago. I was parked in front of my new home, standing in the street and hauling a couple of my bags out of my trunk. The house was located in an old residential area on the south side. Far enough from the city for families to flock to the area, close enough to the city to work or go to school there. Brick houses with wide front stoops lined the street, packed in tightly next to each other. Parents sat on the front steps of houses, gossiping back and forth; watching children play peacefully on the sidewalk. Large old trees were planted along the street, shading the mercilessly hot cement sidewalk. Two giant red maples were standing tall in front of the house I would now be living in. My new home was a two story red brick beast of a house, heavy and old fashioned. Unlike the homes around it, there was no front door; access to the house could be had through the two doors on the side of the house. The front of the house had narrow windows lined up in rows of three, aluminum awnings stretching out from the rusty brick.

I hoisted my bags out of my trunk and walked down the gangway, unlatching the gate to the back yard. The gate swung closed behind me with a jarring metallic clang and I winced, glancing backward at the offending metal contraption. The back door would give me access to the apartment on the second floor. The owners of the home were expecting me, and had told me over the phone last night to just let myself in back and head upstairs. I walked up the back staircase, past the door on the first floor that would give access to the kitchen of the family, up another set of stairs, and stopped, putting my bags down and pulling out the key Mr. O'Malley had given me when we had signed the lease last month. I could smell breakfast cooking below me, and my stomach grumbled painfully. I would have to find someplace to get breakfast soon. I unlocked the door, and stepped up a few more stairs into my kitchen. I put my bags down slowly, and looked around me, absorbing details that I may have missed when Renee and I had visited in the first place. There were three windows lining the wall behind me, looking down onto a small back yard. One window had a new air conditioning unit shoved into it and secured with a piece of wood and duct tape. There was a small desk below the windows. A sensible wooden table with thin, small chairs sat off to my right; to my left was a wall lined with a counter, an old refrigerator, and an even older oven. I passed through the kitchen, into the hallway, frowning at the doorway on the left. It gave me immediate access to the residence of the family below; Mr. O'Malley had pointed out it would come in handy in case of fire emergencies, which had made Renee quite nervous. To the right were two doorways. One led to a small bathroom, the other to a tidy bedroom, already furnished with a bed and dresser. The hall I was walking through opened into a livingroom. The livingroom had windows that faced out the front of the house, onto the street below. There was a long radiator set below the windows. Rose colored carpet (newly installed) covered the floor, and rose print wallpaper covered the walls. A small couch and chair, both with matching rose print adorning them, were centered around an old television in a heavy wooden case. An old record player was pushed off to the side, hiding in a corner. I sighed and walked over to the window, sitting on the radiator and staring out at the dark livingroom in front of me. I laughed softly, thinking back to when Renee and I had first viewed this apartment.

Renee had been worried about how old the house was, how dark the house was; how crowded the street was. The drafty windows, old wallpaper, lack of washing machine and dryer. She made her displeasure known to me in harsh whispers, giving the owner of the house sidelong glances. I blushed in embarrassment countless times. Renee had clearly not liked the apartment, and had pressed me once again to take a look at all the lofts that were being advertised downtown. I had had to remind Renee repeatedly that downtown and the north side were simply out of my price range, and we were lucky to find this apartment. The owners were kind and decent, and most of the furniture was new; even if the house itself and appliances were quite outdated. So while Renee wandered around the apartment, voicing grievances, Mr. O'Malley and I had hammered out the details of my lease. Him and his wife owned the building, and lived on the first floor with their two young children. He cheerfully offered me the use of their washing machine and dryer in the basement, although he regretted that the garage simply wasn't big enough to fit my car along with his and his wife's.

My reverie was interrupted by a loud bang and I jumped, startled, as I glanced wildly around the livingroom. I stood carefully, walking back to the kitchen, where I quickly noticed the object that had offended my peace. A large box had slipped off the table and was now lying on the floor, towels spilling out onto the linoleum. I laughed quietly to myself as I picked up the towels, carefully transporting them to the small closet in the bathroom.

Thusly, I spent the day. Cleaning, unpacking, meticulously placing my items in drawers and cabinets, on shelves. A photo of myself, mom and Phil at the beach took a central spot on the one small, round end table in the livingroom. My books were shoved into the bookshelf in the hallway. By the time my unpacking was done, the time was nearing midnight. I yawned, stretched, and plugged the new laptop Phil had given me into an outlet behind the ancient desk in the diningroom. The modem crawled, and I drummed my fingers impatiently, narrowing my eyes at the offending object. Finally, connected to the internet, I logged onto my e-mail, and gasped when I saw the contents. The first three were from my mother, and the final was from Alice.

"_Bella,_

_How was the drive? You should be in Chicago by now, call me when you're all settled in._

_Mom"_

"_Bella,_

_It's getting near dinnertime. Why haven't you called yet? Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Phil said Hello, by the way._

_Mom"_

I groaned, cringing as I opened the third e-mail, sent half an hour ago.

"_Bella,_

_Don't think I won't jump on a plane and fly out there. Call me now._

_Mom"_

I immediately hit "reply," typing a quick note to my mother.

"_Mom,_

_Calm down. I'm fine, everything is fine. I just finished unpacking; it's been a busy day. I will call you in the morning. Try not to worry too much._

_Bella"_

Finally, I opened the e-mail from Alice, laughing when I saw the contents.

"_Bells,_

_I called your house, and your mom told me you left for Chicago. Thanks for letting me know. It certainly sounds better than Forks right now. How is the shopping out there? How is school? Anything interesting happening lately? You might want to pick up a rain coat and some galoshes. The weather can get really damp. Give me a call when you're not busy, I was thinking about flying out for a visit._

_Alice"_

I closed the window on that one, deciding I would just give Alice a call in the morning. Of course she would be talking about visiting me. Her dad's incredible job meant a large expendable income that Alice took full advantage of. The tip about the weather was a little odd, but I shrugged it off. Alice could just act strange sometimes, like she saw the world in a different way than the rest of us.

I glanced at the clock, cringing when I noticed the time. I only had one week left until the semester began, and in the meantime I still had to find a job and figure out how to get around the neighborhoods of the city without getting lost. I glanced into the bedroom shivered at the thought of sleeping in an unfamiliar room. I decided to forgo sleep for the moment, and sat down in the livingroom to re-read _Wuthering Heights_.

A/n: There. This semester has loaded me down with work, so I simply haven't been able to update. I did however find this smidgen of a chapter on my computer tonight, so I decided I'd just go ahead and post it. I won't make any promises about when I'll post next, because things are pretty hectic right now. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this new, _tiny_, installment.


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